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Kathy and I flew up to New York Sunday (Sept. 23) for a special event we were invited to (more on that later).

I happened to post something about the trip on Facebook, and our good friend Robin Goldsby (Robin Meloy Goldsby of "Piano Girl" book fame) suggested we visit Steinway Hall while we were in town. As it happens we were staying at a hotel just a few blocks from the Hall.Robin has a close friend named Betsy Hirsch who is a sales rep at Steinway Hall so she put us in touch with Betsy.

Monday morning we met Betsy at Steinway Hall on West 57th in New York. Betsy is one of those people you can't help likeing (much like Robin).She is very warm, open, and honest, not to mention talented and funny (now I know why they are friends).Betsy took us on a tour of the Hall, showing us all the wonderful instruments and historic pieces. We even got to go down into the basement where they keep all the concert grands artists use when they come to town. Each is numbered because the artists havetheir preferences and they get the one they really like.

I had the pleasure of playing a couple of the pianos, although the one that sounded the best was the D in the rotunda.I played the latest piece I wrote (written for Kathy) and it sounded amazing in that huge rotunda (of course chopsticks wouldsound good with those acoustics).

Unfortunately the batteries died in Kathy's camera shortly after we arrived, and Betsy had to leave (to visit a customers)rightafter we were through. But we walked up the street, purchased some batteries and went back to take more pictures.Josh Tuckman, another Steinway sales rep (and a forums member I might add) was kind enough to let us wander on our own totake the pictures we wanted to capture.

All in all a very nice visit.

Later that same day we attended a very classy piano event, more on that in another post.

But first, here are some pictures from our visit to Steinway Hall, 109 West 57th Street, New York, NY.

A plaque dedicated to Paderewski that we passed on our way to Steinway Hall (less than a block from the hall)

Kathy in front of Steinway Hall

Rotunda at Steinway Hall

Me standing between pictures of Robin Goldsby and Robin Spielberg

Josh Tuckman (Steinway sales rep) and Me in the rotunda of Steinway Hall

Thanks for posting these photos, Frank! I really think the Rotunda at Steinway Hall is one of the most beautiful rooms in the world. And that "D" is to die for, isn't it? I did the book launch for the paperback version of Piano Girl on that piano in that room. It was one of the most exciting and terrifying moments of my life. There are serious ghosts in that building.

So happy you got to meet Betsy Hirsch. She is a dynamo! She loves music, loves pianos, and loves her job. I'm sure she was thrilled to get a chance to meet you and Kathy.

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Robin Meloy Goldsbywww.goldsby.deAuthor of PIANO GIRL: A MemoirRHYTHM: A Novel RMG is a Steinway Artist